i understand that any real estate transaction is a trying time for people. your emotions are heightened and you take everything personally. but i find that this is even more so the case when people are selling their homes and i get why. the author of this blog may have had a mild (ok, maybe major) hissy fit worthy of the most ill-behaved 5 year-olds out there when she found out that her parents were selling her childhood home. yelling, screaming, crying may have ensued. hey, no judging. i said 'may'. ;-)
your home is your sanctuary. it's where you wake-up and start your day. where you unwind and rest your mind after a tough week. where you make memories and live out your dreams. after all, it's not just a house. it's a HOME. so to say the whole process of selling your home is trying is an understatement. but i'm here to help. or at least try to reason with the inner 5 year-old that's screaming to have a tantrum. it happens to the best of us.
before you even sign that listing agreement, you need to be clear on why you're making this decision. are you expanding your family and therefore need more space? or are you downsizing because all the kids have left the nest? or are you looking to put your money in an investment that will pay in dividends daily? whatever the reasons, recite these to yourself over and over again. inevitably you will question it down the line and if you aren't for certain, you could be in a world of confusion.
once you do though understand why you're making this move, commit to it. distance yourself from the emotional connection to your home and understand that it's just a house. you will still have all those memories once you move. it's the people not the location that make a house a home. if i had a $1 for every time that someone said 'well i want more money. this is my home!' then i would be paying someone else to write this blog while i'd be sitting on a beach drinking margaritas. the minute you list your house, it is no longer your home. you are inviting others in to see it as their home and potentially take that next step to make it a reality.
once you've distanced yourself and signed that listing agreement, it's a logical step: de-personalize. de-personalize. de-personalize. i'm not saying you need to remove that custom wallpaper you put in your kids room of their favorite superhero (although i might suggest it). what i am saying is that it's hard for people to imagine themselves in a home when their are family pictures at every turn. decor is fine - constant reminders that you are in someone else's house are not. remove the pictures. end of story.
my next suggestion is, dare i say, possibly the most difficult to implement. de-clutter. here's the thing though. your idea of clutter may not be someone else's idea of clutter. that's why i'd suggest utilizing your local real estate experts. this is our job. we know what sells and what doesn't. in fact, i'd even suggest going to look at model homes. if you browse through them, you'll notice that the spaces are pretty clutter free. that's because no one wants to buy a house that was in last week's episode of hoarders. and no one will ever be able to imagine their belongings in a house that can barely fit the current family's.
so there you have it. the three Ds of listing your home: distance yourself. de-personalize. de-clutter. i promise that if you are conscious of these throughout the process, it will make it a heck of a lot easier for you. maybe not your loved ones though- they could still be one post-sign away from having a mini meltdown. take it from me. ;-)
xoxo Lauren
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